Plants Unit for Kindergarten

Check out this pack dedicated to plant activities and plant printables for a plant unit for Kindergarten teachers. These activities are easy to prep, store, and use. These hands-on plant activities include charts, printables, pocket chart activities, writing prompts, and even center activities all centered around plants.

This printable unit on plants is broken down into 4 sections that can be taught independently and in any order. Or you can use all 4 sections in the order provided. And check out our new link to Books about Plants here!

These Plant Activities include the following:
1. What is a Plant?
2. Parts of a Plant
3. How do we use plants?
4. What do plants need?

What is a Plant?

This is one section in this plant unit and the section I use first when we dive into a plant unit for Kindergarten. We begin with a whole group chart and a discussion on what we know about plants. This allows me to see our students’ background information on plants so I know our misconceptions and what information we understand. Notice the real images that encourage students to use real images in their thoughts while thinking about and discussing what a plant is and what a plant is not.

I use the page provided in the back and project it via a smart board as a whole group chart. I use the filled-in version on the front to help guide my learners to see what they understand. We can work on this science activity shown below to check for our understanding.

Next, we can read some nonfiction plant books. I like the book, What is a Plant? by Bonnie Walker Kalman on Amazon. Then we can do a pocket chart sort together to place our items into two groups, plants or not plants. What a fun plant activity to get students moving and thinking about what is a plant at the same time. Best yet, now your class has generated a relevant plant word wall they can integrate into informational writing about plants.

Next, we use this plant printable for students to complete so they can show their understanding of what is a plant and what is not a plant. Some teachers need this activity as an exit ticket or response sheet for the plant learning that is occurring in your classroom. How much fun is this plant unit for Kindergarten?!

Parts of a Plant

Next, another section is dedicated to the parts of a plant. Here is a glimpse of the plant printable activities in this plant unit. As before, these images contain real pictures of plants, which only helps build knowledge and understanding about the parts of a plant for all learners in your classroom.

Check out these plant printables for the parts of a plant. This is the chart section for the teacher and student. What does this mean? The teacher can lead this activity via a computer or chart in the front of the room while your students work on their plant printable copy. Then, we use chart activity to sort the pieces in the pocket chart to label the parts of a plant as additional parts of plant activity.

Then, we use the plant printable included in the pack to make sure we know the parts of the plant and those specific terms of leaf, seed, flower, stem, roots.

I use these activities integrated into our reading and writing time as well, specifically as word work. This is ideal for teachers who have limited time in their units and need to integrate their science block into reading and writing. This is also ideal for the students in your classroom to use what they are reading and writing about to be integrated into science. Overall, not all these activities are meant to be used only during a science block.

Check out these plant printables and plant activities for ABC order. It is a fun, themed way to work on skills with a plant unit. You can have two printable options. One option focuses on the fruit that comes from plants while the other option has items we use in our homes that come from plants.

How We Use Plants?

Then, we start to talk about how we use plants. This is a great activity to cover since students usually have no idea how much people use plants every single day. This specific section can also be used to help with Earth Day activities, as a tie-in.

One of my favorite parts of this discussion is when my students’ eyes become open to all the products people use that come from plants, including food. Here is a peek at the charts we use to drive our discussions. People and animals need plants in order to eat many of the foods we rely on. Additionally, this can lead to a discussion about the value of farmers. Some students may think that fruits and vegetables come from the store, but we can teach them that farmers grow these food items on farms.

Next, we can sort together and this comes from a plant printable. I have seen many WOW moments. Students know that wood is made of trees. And many students know that tables are made of wood. But you will be surprised how many don’t connect trees to tables or furniture!

What Does a Plant Need?

If you have already taught a lesson on living and nonliving things at this point in the year, your students may understand that plants are living things. Then, they may need a “what are living things” reminder talk. If your students have not talked about how plants are living things, now is the time to begin this discussion. This plant writing printable is a huge help since it contains the word wall at the top to help guide learners to independence.

Here is a peek at the pocket chart sorting pieces student plant printable. We take time to break down the things that plants do need to live and what they do not need to live. One important note is worms and insects. Many kindergarten students may not understand that some insects help plants while others may harm plants. What a great conversation to tie into spring time learning if insects are coming up soon!

Plant Unit For Kindergarten Ideas

Looking for more plant unit integration ideas for ELA activities? I love to review and reinforce syllables with this plant theme. Students could clap out pictures and place them on the mat based on the syllables.

There are two-syllable options we use in small groups or individually. You can see the second option here. One reason I like this is that you can reteach with one option, then have students practice with another syllable option.

You can store and use all these materials in these colored baggies. When I created this plant unit, I wanted to make it easy and useful as possible. All the pieces are color-coded to help you sort and store all the plant printable materials.

Here is a peek at the edges of this plant printable pack so you can see how I color-coded the pieces.

Science Activity for Little Learners

Lastly, here is a newly added science center that I use to check for understanding the week after we dive into all about plants in Kindergarten. Students can take this set of cards, which are now laminated, and they can check other that are plants with a yes and those that are not plants with a no.